Rolling Off The Edge

by Michael Starks

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    Rolling Off the Edge is Michael Starks' 4th solo effort. Imagine the fun of holding that bright orange disc in your hand. Just sayin'

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1.
If I were you I’d speak of the truth as if I had nothing to lose And if I were you I’d say what I mean Leave it at that Leave it to be And if I were you I’d talk a good game Fan all the flames that burn up the day And if I were you I’d walk a good ways filling the days filling your shoes And if I were you I’d... And if I were you Every day Every time I’d get away And if I were you I’d try to be cool Cooler than that Cooler than you And if I were you I’d fly at the speed of sound If I were you I’d go it alone Go all the way Go for the gold And if I were you I’d make a big scene Making it clear just what I mean And if I were you I’d get in a trance Get out of the way Join in the dance And if I were you just walking along I’d look at the world and see nothing wrong And if I were you I’d fly at the speed of sound
2.
No I Can't 03:18
If you ever wanna tell yourself what you think you’re all about And glimpse inside your personal hell If you ever have to ask yourself what its supposed to be about Don’t ask me why its so hard to tell Cuz I can’t tell you why No I can’t No I can’t tell you And if you think you’re gonna get around to grab the nail and hammer down I really hope you know what it takes When you say you’re gonna get around to fixing up what’s broken down Don’t ask me why there ain’t enough days Cuz I can’t tell you why No I can’t No I can’t tell you You know exactly what the problem is Exactly how to fix it Exactly what to do about it No way you can miss it You know exactly what it feels like You recognize the symptoms A heavy dose of obvious served with all the fixins Well I can’t tell you why No I can’t No I can’t tell you Finally you realize that nothing here gets out alive and what you see is not what you get Your complicated weaving web of all those things you thought you said You ask yourself why can’t I forget? Well I can’t tell you why No I can’t No I can’t tell you
3.
The writing on the wall is illegible It’s just so hard to be prophetical The odds are pretty high Astronomical You live you gotta die Ecological It hits you pretty hard Play the human nature card You heard it all before So regrettable A god wanted a war So did the radicals The kids all had to go and be invisible One nation under god Indivisible It finally reached the point The pinnacle A new high water mark for the cynical A new low water mark for the human nature card The chance is pretty slim Infinitesimal Splitting hairs again but moving decimals Its like your daily dose Your medicine Makes you make the most of your where and when It hits you pretty hard Play the human nature card And see what you can get away with See what you can win
4.
Pretty Great 03:46
I’m not havin’ any I’m not good to go I’m just havin’ at it I’m not in the know Makin’ the scene Yeah that’s what I mean No I haven’t any I’ve got to go They’re not comin’ for me That’s all I know Isn’t it great? Yeah its pretty great If it seems they’re coming for you If it seems too soon I haven’t asked myself yet but I’m asking you Isn’t it great? Its pretty great Isn’t it great? Yeah its pretty great I don’t wanna sit around Take up space I have some presence for the time to erase It’ll be great It’ll be great Its that kinda tension Isn’t it good? I’d like to mention its pretty good Its pretty great Yeah its pretty great Isn’t it great ? Yeah its pretty great
5.
I tried the shoe on and fit it But I was never one to admit it And I been looking up from the bottom Thinkin' 'bout the birds that I shot ‘em I been looking out at the water A little like a lamb at the slaughter Surfs up you better believe it Turn on all the lights as you’re leaving Its alright You’re the only one and only and its alright Gonna keep it going and do it better Gonna sweep me another double header Cuz I been workin on how to be there How to be a high-end believer An up and comer out and go and getter A riot act in big shiny letters Its alright I’m the only one and only and its alright Just when it seems that you own it Everything’s gone in a moment But all I need for my chain reaction is just a little bit of self-satisfaction So I’m probably gonna be here forever Squeezing out the last bit of clever And what finally rolls out the bottom I dunno Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em Its alright You’re the only one and only and its alright
6.
7.
When perception is creation a universe is born Then is driven by the need to know it all and nothing more If the data and the testing don’t reveal a useful trend Someone else will have to find it when it all begins again Patient observation of the textures and the smell Shaking revelations when it fits together well Testing the hypothesis you thought to be the one Data hinting otherwise spoiling all the fun But the universe is patient beyond words you’ll ever know Waiting here for nothing more than something else to grow You can track it any way you want and spin it how you feel The only hidden truths are the ones that you reveal The extinction of perception when the candle flickers out Just another memory of someone else’s doubt Or belief that all the waiting is really not the point The point is that there is none in this crazy rocking joint As you shake your revelations at the doubters in the crowd Just remember you’ll be with them when all the lights are out The last pocket of perception spinning over by the ledge Serving no purpose it goes rolling off the edge Start up a new awareness that was always here before But gone again forever nothing less and nothing more To what we are returning we all can rest assured It will happen ever after if its happened before Unending trial and error what you will and what you won’t You live happily ever after until the day you don’t But the universe is patient beyond words you’ll ever know Waiting here for nothing more than something else to grow You can track it any way you want and spin it how you feel The only hidden truths are the ones that you reveal
8.
Into The Sea 04:13
I’m trying to tell you The words just slide on by Just a little rebellion We could hold out here all night And in the arms of strangers Another warm embrace I gotta hand it to ya and your changing face And if you don’t say what you want me to say what I want you to be Words shiver like veiled apologies If you’ve got an answer Whisper it in my ear Add a little enhancer Another helping dear Deep in those eyes is a story of unspoken glory and shame Deep in these eyes it looks the same Hey you how do you move me Shine me like jewelry Dine and delude me Hey you Invite and elude You never know do you I’m trying to tell you The words drip through the cracks Have some smoke and mirrors Polish up your act And in terms of madness new records are set each day I thought we had this in the bag but it got away And if you don’t say what you want me to say what I want you to be Words slide like ice into the sea
9.
Look Around 03:45
What would you do What would you say What would you think was the way to get away with it What would you hide What would you face What would you try to erase from the thoughts in your head What would you think instead You look around you look around you look around But don’t look down What would you do What would you say What would you think was the way to get only what you need What would you say if you were asked About the things in the past that you thought you had left alone You look around you look around you look around But don’t look down Judiciously ambitious Scaling every wall Its hard to tell the difference when you’re not involved Looking out for no one Simply protocol What would I do with myself if I knew how you felt about the way of the world The way that you really want What would I think What would I say If I were living the way that was only true to what I really want You look around you look around you look around What have you found
10.
Urban thinking among the autos and the bay Here to see Mercury It only lasts for four days And while I’m around To fish or cut bait Which low down to go down Which shimmy to shake Decision time in the big city I been thinking among the autos and the bay Didn’t see Mercury At least not today
11.
Have At It 02:46
Never say no Never deny it’s a habit So have at it Never say no Never say why you inhabit what you inhabit Never say why Hard to deny it don’t matter why anyway No losing sight it always turns out alright Never say no to someone that shows you what it is That keeps you in line outta site outta mind somehow Never say no Always ask why If you haven’t ever then why not now?

about

They say its never a good idea to tell anyone which kid is your favorite, but with enough lubrication Michael Starks would likely admit that he considers Rolling Off The Edge to be his best solo effort to date. Lyrically it mines some similar themes as his past efforts, albeit with some snarky but newly enthusiastic sarcasm and ho-hummed-ness, and a heavy dose of obvious. The tired old "If I were you I'd do this" condescension that some of us high-minded arrogants subscribe to seemed a good topic for a song. And of course everyone wants to be an up-and-comer-out-and-go-and getter and a riot act in big shiny letters, so that's something to talk about too. And man those Teton elk can sing!

credits

released June 16, 2017

All songs by Michael Starks except Rolling Off The Edge
(by Starks/Robert Hoggard) and Smothered in Hugs (by Robert Pollard, Jim Pollard, and Mitch Mitchell (Guided By Voices))

Produced by Michael Starks
Recorded mostly in the D.C. barn, with some at Fumiko Studios, Redroom Recorders, and Morrisound Recording (Tampa, FL)
Mixed by Jim Morris and Michael Starks
Mastered by Jim Morris at Morrisound
Art & Design: Robert Wegmann
Copyright 2017 Starksongs (BMI)

The players:
Michael Starks – lead and backing vocals on all tracks; electric guitar on all tracks (1st and 3rd solos on track 10); acoustic guitar on all tracks except 5, bass on 3, 4, 6, 9, and 10; piano/keyboard on 2, 3, 8, and 9; tambourine on 3; percussion on 4; hand claps on 5
Robert Wegmann – upright bass on 1, 3, 7, 8, and 11; electric bass on 2, 4, and 5; backing vocals on 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9, piano/keyboard on 2; guitar on 5; hand claps on 5
Mark Prator – drums on all tracks; tambourine on 2, 3, and 6; percussion on 5 and 9
Jim Morris – guitar on 4 and 5 (solo on 5), backing vocals on 3
Bruce Nocita – guitar on 4 and 10 (2nd solo on 10), slide guitar on 11
Terry Griffin – piano/keyboards on 10 and 11
Brian Sutherland – cello on 4 and 8
David Lane – pedal steel on 10
Rob Webb – saxophone on 5
Roberta Starks – backing vocals on 7
Dave Dewitt – backing vocals on 7
Dean Rusk – backing vocals on 9
Hera the dog – barking vocals on 1 and 7

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Michael Starks Tampa, Florida

Actually Dade City, not Tampa, but close enough in the cosmic scheme of things. In fact, one might argue that outer space is closer than Tampa is. Still trying to save the world, whether it wants to be or not. These records should help with that, at least a little bit... ... more

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